Chapter 27

[Natsume Chikage: Thank you very much, I will definitely repay this favor in the future.]

[Kondo Miyuki: Silly child, why talk about favors for such a small matter? If you really want to repay your auntie, just come visit our home more often.]

[Natsume Chikage: Mm-hmm, I definitely will when I have the chance...]

[Kondo Miyuki: It's getting late. You're still young, remember to rest early and drink more milk; you can still grow taller, you know?]

[Natsume Chikage: Mm-hmm, I will. Good night, Auntie Miyuki.]

[Kondo Miyuki: Good night.]

Natsume Chikage didn't expect that a clue to one of the shogi heirlooms was in his own school.

But he wasn't sure if the two shogi heirlooms his predecessor's father gave away were really special equipment.

If they were, that would be even better; he could synthesize these three shogi-related special equipment pieces to see what effect it would produce.

If not, it didn't matter.

Anyway, Ruri would want them too.

But the problem arose again: are those two shogi heirlooms still around?

And whether the other party is willing to return them is also an unknown.

After all, these were gifts given away many years ago; it's normal if they were lost or if they are reluctant to return them.

Natsume Chikage pondered for a moment and felt that it was too early to worry about these things now.

After going to school tomorrow, he would find an opportunity to ask this senior "Yasui Ryoto" about it.

Subsequently.

Natsume Chikage clicked on the message from Fujiwara Aoi and found that she had sent it around 10:20 PM.

[Fujiwara Aoi: Natsume-kun, are you home?]

[Natsume Chikage: I'm home.]

The message was replied to quickly.

[Fujiwara Aoi: (*￣︶￣) That's good. By the way, we have the 5 o'clock shift tomorrow. Do you plan to stay at school until around that time before coming over, or go back to Shibuya first?]

[Natsume Chikage: The homeroom teacher requires us to join a club this week, so if there's nothing special tomorrow, I plan to visit the school's clubs first to see if there's anything I'm interested in, and then go to the coffee shop for work.]

[Fujiwara Aoi: I see... then are we going to take the train back to Shibuya for work together then?]

[Natsume Chikage: Sure.]

[Fujiwara Aoi: (〃'▽'〃) Mm-hmm, it's getting late, so I won't disturb Natsume-kun's rest. Good night.]

[Natsume Chikage: Good night.]

In the pitch-black room.

Natsume Chikage took out his phone and lit up the screen.

He carefully checked the current word count of the document and found that it had accumulated to about 30,000 words.

His fingertips lightly touched the screen, quickly scrolling through the dense text.

At this rate, he was afraid he could finish "The Devotion of Suspect X" this week.

If he could get his hands on Yukimura Suzune's special equipment within this week, it would definitely take the quality of this novel to the next level.

But Natsume Chikage could clearly feel that Yukimura Suzune didn't seem to like socializing much and only preferred to read books quietly by herself.

Not to mention finding an opportunity to approach her and get the 'ink accessory' hanging on her school bag, even just figuring out how to talk to her naturally without causing her disgust was a problem.

He sighed lightly and shook his head.

Never mind, things will work out in the end.

Perhaps there will be some opportunity in the future.

Natsume Chikage temporarily threw those chaotic thoughts to the back of his mind and refocused his attention on the phone screen.

His slender fingers began to tap the virtual keyboard quickly, focusing on writing.

He planned to write as many words as he could before going to sleep at twelve o'clock!

Actually, what many people fear most is not finding a direction for their efforts.

But Natsume Chikage was different; he was very clear about his current goal—to earn enough money as soon as possible to buy back his house and IT company.

To take back everything that was lost!

With this clear goal, his motivation was endless!

As for writing novels and participating in shogi competitions, they were actually just means to achieve his goal.

"Brother, it's very late now, are you still not sleeping?"

A sleepy, soft-voiced mutter came from beside him.

Natsume Chikage turned his head to look at the sound.

He found that Ruri had woken up at some point and was rubbing her sleepy eyes while looking here.

"I'm not sleepy yet, I was just thinking of writing a bit more of my novel," Natsume Chikage explained softly, then asked with concern, "But why did you wake up? Can't you sleep?"

Natsume Ruri subconsciously shrank her head into the quilt, revealing only a pair of bright eyes.

"Sleep now, and remember to sleep early too, don't write your novel too late."

She urged in a muffled voice, the sound coming through the quilt with a slight nasal tone.

"Mm."

Natsume Chikage responded gently.

After hearing the reply, Natsume Ruri secretly poked her head out and found that Natsume Chikage was still focused on writing his novel on his phone, his fingertips dancing quickly on the screen.

She couldn't help but feel a little emotional, her lips pouting slightly without realizing it.

She only felt that her brother used to go to sleep punctually around 10:30 PM.

Now that he started writing novels, he was sleeping later and later.

Although she knew that the novel her idiot brother wrote couldn't be very good, and she didn't have any expectations for him making money by writing and submitting it.

But she never expected him to be so serious this time, persisting in creating even late at night.

However, thinking about it, this could be considered a good thing; after all, it's rare for Brother to be so attentive to something.

She secretly decided in her heart: when Brother finishes this novel, she would praise him.

The next day.

Subway station.

The platform was crowded with students rushing to school and commuters going to work.

"Ruri, I've already seen your train coming, go to the front of the platform quickly," Natsume Chikage tilted his head slightly and said to his sister, who was hugging him tightly from behind.

Natsume Ruri was pressed against Chikage's back, her arms wrapped around his waist, still not wanting to let go.

She buried her face in his school jacket and muttered in a low voice: "Ruri is so sleepy today, let me lean for a while longer, I'll naturally get on when the train is about to leave."

Her voice carried a heavy sleepiness.

Natsume Chikage raised an eyebrow in confusion: "Didn't you go to sleep earlier than me yesterday? Why do you look sleepier than me?"

Ruri raised her face and complained with a pout: "I didn't sleep well yesterday because I dreamed that Brother was being led around by a bad woman, and I was angry all night in the dream."

She suddenly tightened her arms, her tone becoming serious: "So Brother, you absolutely cannot let women get close to you casually, you know?!"

"What kind of twisted logic is that?" Natsume Chikage was between laughter and tears.

At this moment, the train's arrival prompt sounded, and the train slowly stopped at the platform.

Ruri reluctantly let go of the hand hugging Chikage, straightened her clothes, and prepared to board the train.

But just as she turned around, she keenly noticed several girls nearby secretly looking at her brother.

"Brother, you must remember my words!" Natsume Ruri narrowed her eyes and urged again, her tone carrying obvious vigilance.

"You silly girl, don't always think so much... hurry up and get on the train." Natsume Chikage smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair.

Natsume Ruri waved goodbye reluctantly: "Brother, then I'll go first."

"Mm." Natsume Chikage also raised his hand to respond.

As soon as Ruri stepped onto the train, she immediately saw a girl approach Natsume Chikage to strike up a conversation through the train window.

Fortunately, she saw Natsume Chikage just politely shake his head, refuse the other party's approach, and then quietly lean against the pillar and press his phone, clearly continuing to write his novel.

Natsume Ruri breathed a sigh of relief, nodded repeatedly, and a relieved expression appeared on her face.

She felt that letting her brother immerse himself in writing novels was indeed a good choice, to avoid being cheated by bad women.

After a while.